The Birth
by chelseywrites
Summary: When a charm is placed on the new headmistresses office at the worst possible moment chaos ensues. Luckily Hermione is there to save the day.


_Authors Note:_

_I'm sorry the title's pretty rubbish. :P The actual story's better, I promise. _

_Just a one parter. I have no idea where this came from. It just popped into my head so I went with it hehe. :)))_

_Oh and just to let you know this is set during Hermione's 7th year at Hogwarts but I've fiddled with the timeline so that the battle of Hogwarts happened around the November of their seventh year rather than May. If anyone's wondering why then you'll understand as the story goes on, but it had to be done. So yes, the battle of Hogwarts has already happened. :)))_

_I hope you enjoy, I won't drag this authors note on for any longer, I don't want you all to get bored before you get to the actual story. :P_

_disclaimer: I am not JKR... Okay I am but you're not allowed to know that. ;)_

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><p>"You're pregnant."<p>

Eight and a half months later she remembered the words being uttered as though it was just yesterday. Minerva shut the door of her office and removed the glamour charm from herself, revealing what was now a fairly large bump. Sighing she let herself slump into her chair, she couldn't believe how tiring being pregnant was. She'd been through three wars now and yet this was by far the hardest thing she'd physically had to cope with.

There was a knock at the door and as she had no chance to cover up the bump Minerva instead just made sure it was well hidden behind her desk. "Come in."

Hermione Granger walked nervously into old her head of house's office and shut the door behind her. "Professor, I was wondering if maybe I could talk to you about something?"

Minerva nodded. She knew the young Gryffindor had had some difficulties adjusting to being back at school without the boys. She'd made the decision to come and finish her seventh year at Hogwarts; whereas the boys felt that they'd outgrown education and had instead started work at the Ministry. "Of course Miss Granger, and you do know that you can talk to me whenever you need to?"

"I know, thank you" Hermione felt herself flush a little red, knowing what she was about to say was not at all what the older witch was expecting. "Professor... I know that you're pregnant."

Minerva considered denying it but knew it was pointless, and oddly, with Hermione she didn't feel the need to. "How?"

"Just the way you've been behaving, the way you were clinging onto your stomach after the battle of Hogwarts, the fact that you've been slowing down recently, I saw you asleep in your office a few weeks back... I could just tell." Hermione said it almost apologetically, knowing that she was never meant to find out. "I'm sorry, you obviously wanted to keep it private and I wouldn't have told you that I know but I just... I wanted you to know that I'm here, if you ever need anything."

"Thank you Miss Granger."

They both remained in silence for a moment, before Hermione slowly whispered. "I do have one question though, if you don't mind?"

"Go on."

"Please don't feel obligated to answer because you honestly don't have to, but who's the baby's father?" Unable to look at the recently appointed headmistress Hermione instead choose to stare at the ground in front of her, hoping that she hadn't stepped too far over the line.

Much to Hermione's surprise however, Minerva carefully began to reply. "If, if I tell you this, it must remain between us, you understand that? No one else can know."

"Of course" Hermione nodded quickly; keen to prove that she could be trusted.

"If I'm honest I'm surprised that you haven't already guessed. The father Miss Granger was Albus."

Hermione hesitated before replying. "If we're being honest then... I did have my suspicions yes, but I always thought rumours of your relationship were just that, and it was just years of hearing them that had planted the idea in my head."

Minerva smiled sadly. "The rumours were indeed just that. What happened between us was nothing more than our way of saying goodbye the night before he..." she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

"So you never were...?"

"We never were" Minerva replied softly, still smiling sadly back at her.

Hermione wasn't sure what to say, but luckily (or unluckily, depending how you looked at it) she was saved from the need to say anything by a sudden moan of pain from the headmistress. Jumping up Hermione was at her side in an instant. "Are you okay?"

"I... I think I've just gone into labour."

Despite everything, Hermione had never seen the older witch looking as scared as she did in that moment. "I'll, I'll go and get Madam Pomfrey, are you supposed to be delivering here?"

"Yes, I didn't want anyone else to know."

"Okay" Hermione ran towards the door and began tugging on the handle but for some reason she couldn't get it to open. In a moment of panic she instead ran to the fireplace and grabbing some floo powder threw it in and shouting "the hospital wing" stepped into the flames.

But a few seconds later she was still there.

A look of realisation crossed Minerva's face as groaning she said "oh please not now."

"What's going on? Why can't I leave?" Hermione asked stepping back out of the flames and trying not to look as panicked as she felt.

"Some of the students, I don't know which ones for sure, have taken to making this room impenetrable. It means that no one can get in and once inside you cannot get out. They've done it a couple of times before and then have come back to undo it a few hours later, I've spoken to those I think may be responsible but I'm yet to find any evidence. Once the spell is on the room only the caster can remove it and there is no way to communicate with the outside world. Oh why is this happening now?"

Hermione didn't know what to say, Minerva looked close to tears as her second contraction started. Unable to do anything else, she walked back to where the older woman was sitting and took hold of her hand. "Shhh it's fine, I'm sure they'll take it off soon. How will we know or will we just have to keep checking?"

Once the contraction was over Hermione got her answer. "When it's taken off all entrances and exits to the room will glow green."

Minerva was ridiculously uncomfortable in her chair so stood up and headed towards the sofa instead. Unfortunately for her, her contractions were starting to speed up and so she was only half way across the room when the next one hit. Hermione grabbed hold of her hand and did her best to keep her upright until it was over. Trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to come the old head of Gryffindor whispered, more to herself than Hermione. "I don't know what to do."

Smiling softly at her and helping her forwards closer to the sofa, Hermione shook her head and said "its fine, before I knew I was a witch I had always wanted to be a doctor, I'm not an expert but I do have a rough idea about what to do... Well as long as giving birth isn't different for witches..."

McGonagall shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm so sorry Miss Granger, you must think of me as a very foolish old woman, reaching this age without having any idea about things such as childbirth..."

"Don't be silly, no one can know everything and if you don't mind me saying I very much doubt that you had anticipated ending up in this position at the present time; and call me Hermione."

"In that case you should call me Minerva" she replied "and I was not, but I should have made sure when I found out..."

Hermione was still standing in front of her, supporting as much of her weight as she could. Not knowing if she was stepping over the line she whispered "I think the truth is that without him by your side you couldn't bear the thought of bringing up his child. Which is why I think you've spent the last few months pretending that this pregnancy isn't happening; throwing yourself into the war and your work, hiding the fact that the baby even exists."

Before she had the chance to respond to what Hermione had said, another strong contraction hit her and Minerva found herself doubled up in pain. As it came to an end a small puddle of water suddenly started to form on the floor between her legs. "Oh my..." She went a deep shade of red, but Hermione just laughed gently.

"It's not what you think; your waters have just broken."

Minerva McGonagall was not normally an emotional person, but like every woman in labour her hormones were currently through the roof, and as the shock of what was happening really started to set in the tears that she'd been desperately trying to keep at bay managed to finally start escaping.

Hermione speechlessly walked her over to the sofa and sat her down on it. She then sat herself down and wrapped her arm around the older witch. "I know how scared you are and I know that this isn't going to help but from how quickly your contractions are coming I think this is going to be a very quick labour. It means that unless we're very lucky this baby is going to come while we're shut in here, so I think I'm going to have to deliver it."

Minerva whimpered a bit in pain as her next contraction came. Hermione squeezed her hand through it and then continued. "I know this is far from the ideal situation but you have to trust me okay? I'm going to look after you; both of you. And as I said before, I'm not an expert but I'll talk you through it the best I can okay?"

Minerva nodded, for once unsure of what else to say, and for the next hour or so little else was said other than Hermione occasionally saying a few encouraging words as the contractions got increasingly worse.

Eventually Hermione said what she'd been putting off saying for as long as humanly possible. "Minerva... The contractions are getting pretty close together now, I think you're pretty close to delivering but I'm going to have to check to see whether I can see the baby's head."

Hermione got a violent shake of the head in return.

"Minerva I know you don't like this and if there was another way then we'd do it, but I'm going to have to deliver this baby and as embarrassed as you feel about it that's going to require seeing you, whether that's now or later. I know you feel uncomfortable and possibly even a little humiliated at being seen like this by someone you teach, and believe me this isn't the easiest situation I've ever been in, but we have to do this."

"Do I need to move?"

Hermione was pleased that she hadn't taken more persuading. Worn down already by the contractions Minerva didn't have the will or the energy to argue. Hermione replied. "It would certainly be easier yes. It's up to you in which position you choose to give birth but I've heard that on all fours is the easiest..."

Minerva shook her head, this situation was bad enough already, there was not a chance that she was going to be seen on all fours by someone that she taught.

"Okay well on your back will be fine." Hermione knew that her suggestion had been pushing it but she'd given it a go anyway. Using all her concentration she transfigured the sofa into what was a slightly odd looking bed, and helped Minerva prop herself up on some pillows.

"That was very impressive" even in the throes of childbirth Minerva McGonagall could appreciate a remarkable piece of transfiguration.

"Thank you" Hermione blushed. "Okay if you're ready...?"

Minerva nodded curtly. "As I'll ever be."

Hermione slowly hitched up Minerva's robe and trying not to show how awkward she felt carefully pulled down the pants that were still soaked from when her waters had broken earlier. Hermione gently parted the ex head of Gryffindor's legs and looked between them, hoping that the baby's head would already be visible. It wasn't.

Minerva's next contraction hit her and Hermione leant forward and grabbed hold of hands, not looking forward to the reaction she was going to get when she had to inform the professor of what she needed to do next. Once it was over Hermione continued holding onto her hand as she spoke. "Minerva... I can't see the baby's head yet but your contractions are coming so quickly now it shouldn't be long... I need to check to find out how dilated you are."

"How?"

Hermione was shocked at how soft Minerva's voice had become. She was completely exhausted already and the worst of this was still to come. "Do you really want to know or would you rather I just did it?"

There was a moments silence before... "Do you have to do whatever it is?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "No, but I'm trying to do this as properly as I can to make sure that you and your baby are okay. Do you trust me?"

Minerva nodded. "Okay, go on."

Hermione moved back to her previous position and blushing a little slide two fingers into the older woman who gasped in shook but didn't try to stop her. Hermione felt around for a moment before pulling her fingers back out. "Okay the head seems to be in the right position and it's very close to being out. I think it's a good time for you to start pushing. Wait until the next contraction and see what you can do. I can't hold onto your hand anymore because I need to be here ready to deliver it, but you can grab onto whatever you can reach okay?"

"Okay"

Twenty minutes later and the head was showing a little but seemed to be stuck where it was, and Minerva was quickly running out of energy to push. Hermione knew that she was going to have to do something to move the delivery along.

"Right, the next time you get a contraction I'm going to try and slide my hands down the side of the baby's head and see if I can help it out okay?"

Minerva nodded, beyond embarrassment at this point. "It's... starting again."

"Okay on the count of three I need you to push okay? Three, two, one, PUSH."

Hermione gripped onto the baby's head and carefully tried to ease it out. "That's it the head's out, now just another really big push during the next contraction and that should be it!"

A few minutes later Minerva's baby took its first breath.

After transfiguring a pen so that she could cut the cord, Hermione handed the small child to its mother with a huge grin on her face. "You have a baby girl."

After Minerva had had a quick cuddle with her new daughter Hermione wrapped her up in a blanket and placed her in the small crib that she had created out of the room's second desk.

"Thank you so much" Minerva had tears dripping down her cheeks, mixing in with the sweat that she had worked up since her contractions had started. "If, if you hadn't been here... I don't know what would have happened."

"Well I was here, and I'm pleased that I was." Hermione said firmly. Minerva flinched. "Are you okay?"

"I... I think so. I just... My stomach... It's okay I think it's passed. Oh... no it's coming back." She tried to curl herself up but let out another cry of pain. She did as she'd previously been told and moved so that she was on all fours, deciding it was far too late to worry about her dignity.

"Are you sure there's only one in there?" Hermione asked teasingly.

"There had better not be another one" Minerva replied grumpily as the pain started to subside again. "I could already kill bloody Albus for doing this to me."

Hermione giggled but then stopped when the other woman cried out in pain again.

"I, I think I need the toilet." Pulling herself up, ignoring the blood that was dripping down her legs, Minerva started to try and move across the room.

Hermione chased after her and grabbed hold of her arm. "You might well do but we still can't get out of this room."

Pain flashed across her face again and she screamed "arghhhhhhhh, I don't care I need the toilet now." Something slid down Minerva's thigh and landed on Hermione's foot. Both looked down at it in shook until Hermione realised what it was. "I'm so sorry! I completely forgot that even after the baby you still have to deliver the placenta."

Minerva didn't have time to ask what on earth that actually was before the door flew open and Madam Pomfrey came running in.

"Students heard screaming, I..." She looked around the room and took in the sight around her. The entire room was covered in blood, including Minerva and Hermione who were standing in the middle of the room, Hermione's arms around the headmistress.

"What on earth has gone on in here?"

-TB-TB-TB-TB-TB-

Hermione sat on the end of the bed grinning down at her professor who had spent the last half an hour complaining about Madam Pomfrey and how it was a bit too late for her to start fussing after she'd already given birth in her office.

"And also I love that the charm had been taken off the door but it took them that long to realise that we might need a little help."

Hermione just laughed. "In her defence we don't know how long it had been since it had been taken off. Whoever did it might have removed it just before she got there for all we know."

"You honestly believe that?" Minerva asked with her eyebrows raised.

"No, it could have been hours and we wouldn't have noticed because we were otherwise occupied, I was just trying to save a nice woman from the wrath of Hogwarts' scary headmistress." Hermione replied bluntly but with the hint of a grin.

Minerva chuckled. "I really do appreciate what you've done for me today Hermione. I truly don't want to think about what could have happened if you hadn't been there. And I know it can't have been easy for you..."

"Don't be silly" Hermione interrupted. "You were the one giving birth, not me. I can't imagine how much pain you were in or how awful it must have been to put the life of your child in the hand of one of your students."

"It I'm honest it was more the humiliation than the pain" Minerva confessed.

Hermione felt herself flush a little red but spoke gently. "I can imagine, I'm sorry I had to... you know, when I was looking for the baby's head..."

Minerva blushed but forced herself to reply. "I appreciate the fact that you overlooked how unpleasant it would be for you and did what was best for both myself and my child."

"Oh it wasn't unpleasant" Hermione said quickly, then realised what she'd said, blushed an even darker shade of red than the headmistress and giggling added "I meant... I don't want you to think that I found you repulsive or... you know what I meant."

Minerva chuckled "Yes I understand what you meant, and thank you but you don't have to say that to be polite."

Hermione smiled softly at her. "I'm not."

The older witch had become uncomfortable where she was laying and so attempted to move, forgetting that she was still incredibly sore. "Oooow."

Hermione climbed off of the bed and went to grab hold of her. "Hey where do you think you're moving to?"

"I wanted to get into a more comfortable position."

"If today's taught you anything" Hermione said quietly as she helped her old head of house move into a better position "it should be that you can't do everything on your own, sometimes you're going to need help."

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "Is that not a little too clichéd for you Miss Granger?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow back. "I just delivered your child and you're back to calling me Miss Granger?"

They both smirked at one another as Hermione climbed onto the bed next to Minerva and leant back against the headboard.

"You were right."

"Sorry?" Hermione hadn't been expecting her to say anything and so looked up a little confused.

Minerva looked away from her. It was one thing to open herself up like this, it was quite another to have to look at Hermione while she did it. "Earlier, when you said that I had been hiding the pregnancy because I didn't want to face it alone, you were right. I loved Albus, and always will."

"But I don't understand, if you felt like that and he obviously felt the same, then why didn't you end up together before the end?"

Minerva looked back at her and Hermione felt slightly worried, not knowing whether she was pushing this too far.

"Don't look so scared Miss Granger, I think we both know that today has changed our relationship considerably. And after all, I was the one that started this conversation. Anyway; the honest answer to your question?"

Hermione nodded.

Minerva tried to maintain eye contact with her younger charge but ended up looking down instead. She didn't know if she was ready to talk about this yet, especially in her current emotional state. What she did know though was that if she didn't do it now then she never would, and it was probably time she was honest. "Because he was gay, the love we felt for one another was only ever platonic, and I have been in love with someone else for a great number of years."

There was a silence while Hermione took in everything that had just been said. "He was... why didn't we know?"

Minerva chuckled. "For a man that was supposedly so transparent, Albus had a great number of secrets. That was just one of them. I don't think he would ever intentionally hide it and I suspect that if anyone had ever asked directly he would have answered honestly. It just was not something that he made well known."

Hermione nodded slowly. "But then why did you... in the end?"

"I... I don't know. In all honesty I think even before he set out with Harry we knew that he most likely wasn't coming back and we were... curious perhaps? We had been close for a great many of years and had been in many intimate situations together... I think we knew that it was our last chance to find out what it would be like to go that little bit further." Minerva could feel that once again her eyes were beginning to fill up with tears. Cursing her hormones she attempted to hide this from Hermione, somewhat unsuccessfully.

"What was it like?" Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper. She had wanted to stop and try and comfort Minerva but knew better than to think it would be appreciated. So instead she decided to plough on, hoping that opening up a little would help her.

"Beautiful. Slow, passion filled... beautiful. I have never been intimate with someone that I didn't find" Minerva hesitated but quickly pulled herself together. She was not after all some silly teenage girl that couldn't speak about things such as this without blushing and becoming uncomfortable. "I have never been intimate with someone that I didn't find sexually attractive. But I can honestly say that in this case it didn't matter."

Hermione smiled a little. "So I guess it's true what they say, love is the most important thing when it comes to sex."

"I would say so yes." Minerva knew she was a little flushed but appreciated the fact that Hermione wasn't making a big deal about it. She attempted to stop a yawn that was threatening to escape from her, but failed miserably.

"I think it's time for you to get some rest." Hermione said kindly. "Don't worry about... Oh have you thought of a name for her yet?"

"Well I did consider naming her after you, but I decided that could get dreadfully confusing so instead I settled on Lily."

Hermione blushed "you didn't have to even consider me."

"How could I not want to name her after the person that brought her into this world?"

Hermione, still a little red, smiled and continued. "Don't worry about Lily; if she wakes up I'll look after her. Unless she needs feeding in which case _then_ I'll wake you up."

"You're planning on staying then?" Minerva asked her teasingly.

"Yes unless you have a problem with that? I won't hear Lily crying from my dormitory." Hermione teased back.

"Well in that case I suggest you make yourself comfortable."

Hermione started settling herself down and the older witch closed her eyes. A question was still burning in her mind but she was unsure if she was brave enough to ask it in fear of what the consequence would be. Eventually after deciding that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she'd said something she plucked up the courage (she was a Gryffindor after all) and spoke "You never asked... You enquired about Albus' sexuality, you questioned what I said about our relationship being platonic, but you never said a word about the fact that I told you I was in love with someone."

"It isn't any of my business" Hermione replied softly.

Minerva raised an eyebrow.

Hermione shut her own eyes and whispered so softly that it was barely audible. "And I already knew the answer."

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><p><em>Authors Ending Note:<em>

_If you've made it this far then thank you! I know that was pretty long and I did consider splitting it into two parts but I couldn't decide where to end part one and begin part two so in the end I kept it together. :) _

_Please please review. :) Honestly it means so much to hear what you all have to say. :D I'll try and reply to everyone that does. _

_I think that's all... Hope you all enjoyed. :D_

_love love x_


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